Passages: Jack Kemp memorial

February 07, 2012

Dear Lewis & Clark community members,

I write with the sad news that life trustee John (“Jack”) Kemp passed away on January 30. A memorial for this alumnus and close friend of the college will be held on Saturday, February 11, at Hawks View Cellars in Sherwood.

After graduating from Lewis & Clark in 1963, Jack rose through the management ranks at U.S. National Bank, eventually becoming executive vice president. Jack joined Columbia Management Company in 1983, rising all the way to chairman before his retirement in 2000.

As those of you who knew him are aware, Jack was not the “retiring” kind. He purchased Hawks View Vineyard in 2002, and opened his winery, Hawks View Cellars, five years later.

Jack was a devoted alumnus and an active supporter of Lewis & Clark. From 1997 to 2004, he served as a trustee of the college. During his tenure on the board, he played a leading role in establishing the Audit Committee as a standing committee of the board, in developing a board policy for debt management, and in championing the expansion of student housing with the construction of the apartments on Huddleson Lane. He will be remembered for his energy, enthusiasm, generosity, and good humor.

A civic leader with wide-ranging philanthropic interests, Jack was president of Greater Portland Convention and Visitors Association, a member of the board of the Portland Art Museum, and a supporter of the United Way and numerous other charities.

The Lewis & Clark community extends our deepest sympathy to Willie, Jack’s wife of 34 years, to his children, Kari, Kristi, and A.J., and to his five grandsons.

For a fuller account of Jack’s life and career, and an opportunity to leave remembrances at an on-line guest book, I encourage you to read his Oregonian obituary.

I had the good fortune to get to know Jack last year. Lewis & Clark has lost a great friend.